Meet "Spike"

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I have a total of five feeders up right now. Two are within sight of each other. One of those two is just around a corner from yet another.

One bird has taken to sitting at each feeder. Two are no perch feeders, so the birds land on the wires. On the perch feeder, the bird sits there with head on a swivel.

I finished one roll of film, and gotta get it processed. I also think I'd better get some faster film, as 400 is on the ragged edge of handholding with a long lense.

You ought to see some of what I see!!!

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I have two "mini" feeders. One is outside the kitchen window, and I use the other as a temporary feeder when they need cleaning/refilling.

I just traded the mini and had the almost empty one in my hand. Twice a smaller Hummer came up and fed from it! I was amazed!

I had another trying to drive me away from the feeder!

I'm trying to get more pics, but I have a problem. My long lense has a max opening of 5.6, or 4.0 at the shortest. I have a 1.8 50mm for my old AE-1, or a 3.5 19mm but those are WAY too short.

The lighting does not always cooperate!

More experimenting is called for!

Edit> BINGO! I have a 70-210 F4 for the AE-1. It allows for decent shutter speed. Now I gotta get fresh film! <ediT

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Another trick to get pics... my Vivitar 2600-D Flash might help. When I finish the roll in the EOS I'll know more.

I picked up two feeders at Tractor Supply. A 12oz and a 16oz. I'm putting the 12oz in place of the mini as it gets empty nearly every day.

They really are FASCINATING creatures!!!

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Hmph!

MOST feeders have a "Guard" bird that won't let others in to feed.

I put a window mounted feeder on my bedroom window that holds 12oz. It will get emptied twice a day if I was here to refill it at mid-day. As many as 10 birds will swarm it, and as soon as one moves another takes it's place. The guard bird is pretty much ineffectual!!!

CRAZY!

 

[Flying Turtle]

Today is the first since late April that I saw no hummers. The males began their migration about a week ago. Now all the females are gone. I'll leave the feeders up for a couple more weeks for any stragglers. Do any stay with you all year, PlayboyJoe?

Geoff

 

[IsaacHayes]

My Friends Mom has a couple feeders. One in the back I could not count how many there was. They were swarming like flies!!! It was nuts. She said there has been as much as 25 at a time!!

 

[Flying Turtle]

It seemed like the activity level picked up this past week. I think the little birds were loading up before beginning their migration.

Geoff

 

[Wolfen]

I've seen a few hummers in Chicago buzzing around bright flowers. We also have quite a population of non-native Monk Parakeets.
http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/winter2003/monkparakeets.html

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I really wouldn't know about all year. This started when I saw a couple hummers buzzing a flower bush.

I'll leave at least a couple feeders up through "winter" (in SE TX we get more rain than cold).

 

[cheapo]

there were 10 hummingbirds feeding off of ours for weeks now.

-David

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I'm going to try a trick tomorrow. Today they emptied an at least 40% bigger reservoir from about 8AM to 4:50PM.

Tomorrow they are going to have one feeder above another (window mounts 12oz).

My guess is either they won't touch either one, or they'll empty them both!

I sure wish I had a better digital cam. I could get a pic of 8 of them one one 10 position feeder! Or 12-15 swarming around a 3 postion feeder.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

They have had both emptied by noon to 1PM. It's begining to cost a bit in sugar!

Another Party started up in front of the house. 12-15 birds swarming a 2 position feeder. I've moved a larger 4 position to that place now... and watch 'em stay away.

It seems like I make more sugar water every other day now!

Sister got a new digicam, and it seems to do some good stuff. I'll see about some pics!

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Oh WOW!

Neither saturday nor today have I seen more than 1 or 2 birds at all. No feeder has a guard sitting on it like usual. The two on the back window are nearly as full as they were when I filled them Friday night.

It's like they all took off at the same time!

Anyone else notice such a thing?

 

[Sway]

My last one left for vacation about two weeks ago.

Later
Kelly

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I've seen two females hassling each other today...

I'll keep one or two feeders out and clean!